Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.24.2
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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tat - abhijñaḥ
—
well aware of all that
Compound: tat (that) + abhijñaḥ (fully knowing). The verse is explicit: Kṛṣṇa already knew. Gauḍīya reading: His subsequent question is līlā, not inquiry — Bhagavān stages occasions for His devotees to act.
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sarva - ātmā
—
the Soul of everyone
Compound: sarva (all) + ātmā (Self). The Paramātmā within every heart in Vraja already holds the answer to the question He is about to ask. The verse layers aiśvarya under the surface of an ordinary domestic scene.
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sarva - darśanaḥ
—
the seer of everything
Compound: sarva (all) + darśanaḥ (seeing). Pairs with sarva-ātmā: the One who is within all and sees all. Yet in the next breath He bows and asks — the Gauḍīya signature, omniscience cloaked by intimacy.
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praśraya - avanataḥ
—
humbly bowed down
Compound: praśraya (humility, modesty) + avanataḥ (bent down). Bhagavān physically bends before His foster father. Aiśvarya conceals itself so that vātsalya may operate; this posture is itself a teaching about bhakti's tone.
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vṛddhān
—
the elders
Accusative plural of vṛddha. He asks not Nanda alone but the whole council of elders. The Lord models the dharma He is about to refine — even when correcting, He honors the form of paramparā.
Lord Kṛṣṇa was eager to enact His pastime of lifting Govardhana Hill and defeating the false pride of Indra, and thus He cleverly inquired from His father about the imminent sacrifice.
Because he had seen the sacrifices many times in the past he knew all about them. Though as paramatma (arvatma) he inspired others to perform the sacrifice, he began asking about it for the interest of pastimes. He is called sarva darsana because he could see in the future the breaking of Indra’s pride and pastimes with his devotees for seven nights in the future.
He asked Nanda, even though he had more knowledge of the sacrifice than Nanda, who would explain the sacrifice to him, and who had seen it in previous years. He asked humbly since he was endowed with all good qualities (bhagavān). He knew because he was Paramātmā and he asked the question because he wanted to use the opportunity for his purpose showing all people (sarva-darśanaḥ). It is fine that they worshipped the devatās who are my external manifestations when I was not present. But in my presence intimate, direct worship is more pleasing. Since my father and others are the greatest devotees (SB 10.14.34) it gives me sorrow that they worship lowly Indra, full of pride. He thus asked mainly the elders, with a desire to begin worship of the most intimate Govardhana. He asked the question to his father to show his dependence on his family members.
Though knowing about this effort, he asked. By their answer he would prescribe an appropriate measure. He knew because he was pervading everywhere (sarvātmā). Or he was the giver of consciousness to all ātmās. Thus he sees everything (sarva-darśaṇaḥ). This was because he was bhagavān, full of all powers. Or because he was sarvātmā and sarvadarśaṇaḥ he engaged them in these acts. He asked because he was full of amazing pastimes (bhagavān). Or he asked because inspires all ātmās (sarvātmā) in order to stop Indra worship and begin Govardhana worship. Why? He saw service to Govardhana, the best servant (sarva-darśaṇaḥ). Why? Because he was bhagavān, endowed with all qualities like affection for his devotees. Or he asked in order to show his intelligence, with skill in questioning about the worship in order to achieve his goal. He asked the elders because they knew. In enlightening them, all would gain the knowledge. Nanda was the chief person. If he understood, all others would. The deep meaning is this. “Nanda is straightforward, most affectionate to me, overcome with love and will never go against my wish. All others are dependent on him. Thus I will ask him primarily.”
- Where am I broadcasting answers when humble inquiry would teach more effectively?
- Whose practice could I learn from by asking instead of correcting?
A father who already knows what his son has been up to still asks, 'What did you do today?' — the question is not for information, it is to give the child the dignity of speaking. Kṛṣṇa, sarva-ātmā and sarva-darśanaḥ, already sees every preparation; He bends low and asks Nanda anyway, honoring the elders before He overturns them.
Even when banishment was already decreed, Rāma went to Daśaratha and asked. He already knew what would be said; the asking itself was the dharma. Bhagavān, by descending into a relational world, accepts the etiquette of asking from those He Himself empowers to answer.
Kṛṣṇa in this verse does the same with Nanda: omniscience defers to filial form, because the līlā is run on rasa, not on raw information.
My note
Source: vedabase.io